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UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

DANIEL IV. HOWVARD, OF CAIN, KANSAS.

DOOR.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,921, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed December 10, 1888. Serial No. 293,085. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL W. HOWARD, of Gain, in the county of Rice and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Doors, Barn-Doors, &c., wherever doors are used; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved 'door for all purposes where doors are used.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the door. Fig. 3 is a view showing the door partially opened.

This invention is an improvement in doors, and is designed especially for grain-cars; and to this end it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A and B represent the upper and lower portions of the door. Part B is lowermost and rests upon a horizontal series of rollers G O, and is guided thereon by a horizontal track-rail D, which projects above the rollers. The opposite ends of door B are re-enforced by vertical pieces 6 b, and the front edge of the door is preferably provided with studsvor dowels e, which enter corresponding sockets in the door-jamb rail E when part B is closed.

F is a rod pivotally connected to the rear upright of part B, and having its front end looped or slotted to engage a hasp f when the door is closed and form the door-fastening. This rod is also useful in opening the door, as it is sufficiently long to enable a man to pull back the part B thereby, and, being connected to the rear end of part B, the latter is notcrowded or jammed, and consequently opens easier than if it were pushed back.

G G designate a series of rollers secured to the car horizontally above rollers O O, and which are preferably grooved peripherally, These rollers are in position to receive the upper edge of part B as the latter is drawnbaok or opened and guide the same aright,

and g is a plate or guide track'rail outside the rollers G G and projecting both above and below the same to serve as a guide rail for the upper edge of part B and for the lower edge of part A.

a designates a doubly-grooved block secured in the line of rollers G next the dooropening, which block prevents binding of the doors.

Part A is constructed like part B, but preferably has its lower edge beveled or rounded to engage the rollers G G, upon which it is supported when opened and guided by rail g. The rollers O O extend below the door-opening, but rollers G G extend only to this opening, and consequently I provide the front upper corner of part A with a hanger II, which embraces an ordinary guide track-rail I, and has a roller h runningthereon. By means of hanger H and rollers G G, which are intermediate between track-rail I and rollers 0, part A is suspended entirely independent of part B and does not rest upon the latter at all. The lower edge of part A is provided with a depending plate or flange a which overlaps the upper edge of part B and causes a complete closing of the opening when both parts are closed. The vertical pieces on part B are slotted to permit the passage of said flange and prevent accidental or forcible turning outward of the flange.

J is a rod connected to the rear piece j of part A and having its front end looped or slotted to engage a staple on the door-jamb for fastening the door.

Both parts of the door are thus entirelyinde pendent of each other. Either may be opened without disturbing the other, or they can both be opened, if desired. The friction-rollers facilitate the opening of the parts.

' Having described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The combination, in a car, of the lower and upper guide rails and the intermediate short guide-rail with a door composed of two in dependent parts, the lower part being supported and guided by the lower guide-rail and intermediate rail, and the upper part having a hanger engaging the upper guide-rail and supported on the intermediate rail, and the securing devices for said parts, all constructed substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a car having a bottom guide rail and frictionrollers, and an intermediate short guide-rail and friction-rollers, with the door composed of independent parts A and B, part B being supported on the lower friction-rollers and guided by the intermediate rollers, and part A being supported and guided on the intermediate rollers and by a hanger on its upper front end, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the lower horizontal series of rollers O O, the intermediate horizontal series of rollers G G, the grooved block a, and the upper guide track-rail with a door composed of two parts A and B, part A being supported by the rollers G G and by a hanger engaging the guide track-rail, and part B be- 15 1 ing supported on rollers O and guided by rollers G, and the fastening devices for the door, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of 20 JOHN J. SHORT, WILLIAM MCHUGH. 

